Jayden Daniels Draws Crowd (Especially From Patriots) At Successful Pro Day

If you're wondering whether Jayden Daniels had a good pro day on the Baton Rouge campus of Louisiana State University on Wednesday, the answer is yes.

It's almost always yes for quarterback prospects slated to go high in the NFL draft. Zach Wilson had a great pro day. Ja'Marcus Russell, a long-ago LSU legend, had a great pro day.

Both became NFL busts with the teams that picked them.

So, yeah, Daniels didn't forget how to throw – and quite impressively – since he won the Heisman Trophy in December.

He connected on a 65-yard bomb to Chris Hilton in what was one of the handful of highlight moments of the event. 

And there were other moments. Like this:

And this:

How 'bout one more?

Want some vertical shots (9 routes) to receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and then Malik Nabors?

You got it:

Jayden Daniels Show Arm Talent

Daniels didn't connect on his entire set of 50-plus passes. He missed on some even though he was throwing against air, as is normal at these Pro days.

But the completion stats were not the numbers we should care about. The big numbers to care about begin with 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds.

Daniels was not weighed or measured at the NFL combine last month so this was something teams wanted to see. And it's important because Daniels is a lanky man about to play a violent game.

So teams were curious to see about his weight in particular. 

One NFL executive who attended the pro day dismissed the issue by noting Lamar Jackson was relatively thin coming out of college – 211 pounds, depending on the day and whether he'd just eaten.

"They all get in the weight room and put on muscle," the personnel executive said.

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 16: Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters watches the game between the Georgetown Hoyas and the Villanova Wildcats at Capital One Arena on February 16, 2024 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

Commanders Interested In Daniels 

All 32 teams sent representatives to the event. 

And, of course, the teams that need a quarterback were all over the field.

The Chicago Bears have the No. 1 overall pick, and they're almost definitely selecting Caleb Williams.

But the Bears are doing their due diligence, so they were represented by general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus and assistant GM Ian-Yates Cunningham.

The Washington Commanders have the No. 2 overall selection and have been tied by some to Drake Maye. But no one should dismiss the possibility Washington may pick Daniels.

GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn were present.

The Patriots are picking No. 3, and they've been making noise about trading down. Maybe. But they were all over this pro day.

Sports Illustrated reported the Patriots had nine representatives – NINE – at the event. That included director of scouting and defacto general manager Eliot Wolf, head coach Jerod Mayo, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, QB coach T.C. McCartney and senior offensive assistant Ben McAdoo.

It's a wonder the Patriots didn't bring Bill Belichick and Tom Brady along just for the sake of nostalgia.

Anyway, the Giants had a full contingent present, including GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

NFL Clubs Talk To Kelly About Daniels

Daniels finished throwing by mid-afternoon but he's not done working. 

A handful of teams scheduled in-person meetings with him after the  workout. That list of teams includes the Commanders, Patriots, and even Minnesota Vikings, which have two first-round picks and are expected to try to trade up to No. 4 overall, if possible.

Some of the teams atop the draft are also going to keep LSU coach Brian Kelly pretty busy. They will ask him everything they're curious to learn about Daniels.

Patriots coach Jerod Mayo proved that. He spent five minutes talking to Kelly right there on the sideline after the throwing session.

The two men weren't discussing Cajun food.